Towns

Although the phrase “ghost town” might call to mind the tumbleweed-strewn roads and abandoned wooden storefronts of the Old West, ours tell a different tale. A detour through these rural locales reveals stories of a changing world and devastating acts of nature.

Our series on Skidmore concludes with a look at the town's present, and the future that may be possible for it.

The town became nationally known for the murder of a bully. But the people who call it home know what it's really like.

Ken had a drink at the bar, left, started his truck, and lit a cigarette. And then someone shot him in the head, in broad daylight, before 45 witnesses, with Trena at his side. After decades of terror, the bully was finally gone.

The Grove is more than a St. Louis hot spot; it's a neighborhood with a tangled history and a future that could set an example for the rest of the nation.

Driving through the vast open plains of Route 240, you can pass by Glasgow’s western outskirts in seconds. But you shouldn’t. Over the bridge with an impossible-to-ignore view of the Missouri River and towering MFA grain silos is a community of friendly people, good food, and enthralling stories.

Missouri is defined by its small towns as much as anything else. Between our state’s two great metropolises lies our state’s heart—where tiny towns populate great plains and small communities dot the rugged landscape of the Ozark hollows. Some sit high above the Missouri on great river bluffs; some are tucked away in the woods. 

There used to be a sign on a quiet corner of a quiet street in the quiet town of Peculiar that perhaps best illustrates the city’s unique sense of humor. “In 1861–1864, while bloody battles raged throughout the southern states, nothing happened here,” the metal plaque read.